Senator Tom Duane and Senate President Malcolm A. Smith Allocate $7.5 Million In Funding To Support Renovations To Lincoln Center

Above: Senator Duane presents a check on behalf of the New York State Senate to Reynold Levy, President of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

The funding will go towards costs for the design, architecture and engineering of Alice Tully Hall.

(New York, NY)- Senate President Pro Tempore Malcolm A. Smith along with Senator Tom Duane presented a $7.5 Million capital funding allocation to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to be used for its ongoing redevelopment of the recently renovated Alice Tully Hall.

The check will go towards costs for the design, architecture and engineering of the hall.

“The modernization of Alice Tully Hall and Lincoln Center is essential to maintaining New York’s leadership role in the performing arts for the next 50 years,” said Senator Smith.

Lincoln Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary and has embarked on a major initiative to modernize its concert halls and public spaces. The center is in the midst of transforming its 16-acre campus. It has already re-opened Alice Tully Hall and the David H. Koch Theater. This winter the David Rubenstein atrium will open offering free public performances.

“Lincoln Center is the cultural heart of the Upper West Side and the renovation of Alice Tulley Hall only enhances this world-renowned institution," said State Senator Thomas K. Duane, in whose district Lincoln Center is located. "I am pleased that the New York State Senate has been able to provide funding toward this project that not only transformed the hall's acoustics but also made the facility more welcoming for performers and audiences as well as the general public.”

Alice Tully Hall is one of the most utilized venues at Lincoln Center. An average of 750 events a year have been held at Alice Tully hall since it opened.

Reynold Levy, President, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts said: “On behalf of Lincoln Center, I am extremely grateful for the efforts of Senators Smith, Serrano, and Duane to secure funding for the continued redevelopment of our campus, especially during our 50th Anniversary year, this gift will enable us to move forward with artistic programming that is second to none as we make our campus more welcoming for our neighbors and our visitors.”

Senator Jose Serrano also played an intricate part in securing funds for the hall.

Senator Serrano said: “The arts are often overlooked during difficult financial times, and I am proud that the Senate is showing a firm commitment to arts and culture by allocating this much-needed capital funding to Lincoln Center. As a cultural landmark, Lincoln Center has enriched the lives of, not only New Yorkers, but people from all over the globe; and this funding will allow them to continue to fulfill their mission of bringing quality programming to a diverse range of audiences.”

“The new Alice Tully Hall makes this one of the most visible public spaces at Lincoln Center and one of liveliest corners in the neighborhood,” concluded Senator Smith.